In our click-and-share digital photography era, it can be refreshing to be reminded of a time when making prints was more physical – and when creative experimentation involved more than tapping filters on an app. As a tech journalist, I’m no Luddite, and I’m not suggesting we all ditch our professional cameras and hide away in the darkroom again. But occasionally, I think it’s important for amateur photographers like me to refresh our practice, finding new approaches, new forms, and maybe even new films.
Earlier this year, I went hands-on with the Polaroid I-2 and was transported back to an analog world I’d almost forgotten. While the best instant cameras (like the I-2) make physical prints, they’re designed to be quick (clues in the name) and easy to use. You get some degree of tinkering over how your images are printed, but it’s only when you change the raw ingredients themselves that you delve into fun territories. Call me old fashioned, but adding a sticker to a photo before printing it just doesn’t spark that same magic as trying a film and wondering how it’s going to turn out.
